Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?
by r2roswell
Summary: CastleFanficPrompts: Do you want to build a snowman? Just because this song is stuck in my head, Castle driving Kate crazy wanting her to build a snowman with him on their free day. My Summary: I think I was able to turn this song into something cute. Castle tries to get Beckett to build a snowman with him.
1. Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

**Ch1. Do You Wanna Build a Snowman**

[Castle Year 2]:

 _-Beckett-_

 _Do you wanna build a snowman?_

 _Come, let's go and play!_

 _I never see you anymore. Come out the door. It's like you've gone away._

 _We used to be best buddies and now we're not. I wish you would tell me why._

 _Do you wanna build a snowman?_

 _It doesn't have to be a snowman._

Castle waited for Beckett's response outside her door of her apartment but still there was no sound. He knew she was in there. It was early and they still had not caught a case but even if they had, at this point he wasn't sure if she would allow him to ride along anymore.

It had been less than a week when Castle uncovered the truth about her mother's murder. He remembered strictly the words she had said to him, almost as if she were standing in front of him now, "Castle, you touch my mom's case and you and I are done." And yet he hadn't been able to let it go and looked into it anyways. It had worked out for him, but mainly for her. He had hoped that now that she knew the truth about what had happened, that she had gotten at least some of the answers she needed.

Instead Beckett had only frozen him out.

The only reason she would talk to him was because she had to and the only reason he was still riding with her was because Montgomery and the mayor had allowed it.

Still, it being the first snow of the season, Castle was willing to give anything a try.

"Do you wanna build a snowman," he asked once more.

"Go away, Castle," Beckett replied after finally getting annoyed.

Castle knew Beckett would come out now, not after that response and so he took his leave.

* * *

 _[Castle Year 3]:_

 _Do you wanna build a snowman?_

 _Or ride our bikes around the halls?_

 _I think some company is overdue. I've started talking to the pictures on the walls._

 _It gets a little lonely. All these empty rooms. Just watching the hours tick by._

Another year. Another first snow. And once again, Castle was left out in the cold as he stood at the front door of his partner's apartment.

He wasn't sure what it was he had done to be frozen out this time. The boys wouldn't tell him, Lanie wouldn't tell him, and neither would Montgomery. All he had to go on was his mother and daughter's advice which was still cryptic at best. And though Castle had apologized to Beckett for something he didn't know he was apologizing for, there was still that rift between them.

All he wanted right now, much like he had around the same time last year, was to build a snowman with his best friend.

"Do you wanna build a snowman," Castle asked.

He hoped for a response. Anything but there was nothing.

* * *

 _[Castle Year 4]:_

 _-Beckett-_

 _Please I know you're in there._

 _People are asking where you've been._

 _They say "have courage" and I'm trying to._

 _I'm right out here for you. Just let me in._

 _We only have each other. It's just you and me. What are we gonna do?_

 _Do you wanna build a snowman?_

Four years of being partners at the 12th and of those four, three had ended with some sort of fiasco, this being the third. Early on at the start of this year Beckett had gotten shot. He didn't blame her for freezing her out but he somehow got the feeling that there was more to it and he wasn't sure what it was. As usual no one was saying anything. Part of him wondered if it had anything to do with what he had said to her as she lay dying on the ground, the part about saying "I love you". He had confessed his words to his mother and she found it to be a complete cop out since he had waited till she was nearly dead to admit how he felt.

Now he wasn't about to let another minute go by. It was the first snowfall of the year. Inches beyond inches covered all of New York. It was his third attempt but he was still willing to try.

"Do you wanna build a snowman," he asked. He had lost track of how many times he had said those words to her while she rummaged around the other side.

Just as he turned and was about to give up, he heard the door open. He saw as Beckett stood. Dressed and ready to go.

"You have got to stop singing that song," Beckett said to him.

"It's not a song," Castle replied.

"Trust me, it's a song." Beckett wasn't too sure where she had heard it but she added, "Somewhere."

Castle smiled, pleased at her attire, "So I take it you're ready to go?"

"This doesn't mean I'm still over what happened," Beckett said.

Castle simply shook his head to indicate he was fine with it even though he had no clue as to what it was she was referring to. It could have been any number of things.

"I'm only doing this," Beckett added, "Because every year you come to my door with that song and you never seem to go away no matter how many times I try to ignore you."

"It's not a song," Castle interrupted.

"It's a song," Beckett said to him. "So I'm hoping," Beckett added, "That by saying yes to your snow day, you'll finally leave me alone."

"I'll take it," Castle said as he handed the cup of coffee to her, something had done on every snow day.

Castle watched as the small smile came to Beckett's lips but was gone just as quickly. He smirked, knowing that he had done his job.

"What did you have in mind anyways," Beckett asked as she locked up behind her and followed Castle.

"How do you feel about sleigh rides?" he asked.


	2. It Doesn't Have to be a Snowman

**Ch2. It Doesn't Have to Be a Snowman**

Beckett stared in awe at the horse drawn sleigh and driver that stood on the sidewalk.

"Every year you've been doing this," Beckett asked as she turned to him.

Castle shrugged, "Guess I was just hoping one day you'd say yes. You never looked out your window?"

"Didn't really think about it since you were out there," Beckett admitted.

Castle only nodded. "Shall we," he asked as he helped Beckett into the sleigh.

"Onward, my good sir," Castle said to their driver.

After driving on for a while the sleigh finally stopped at its destination: Central Park.

* * *

The place they were in was nearly vacant, just a few passer bys.

Maybe it was the magic of the snow fall, the snow that was all ready inches off the ground, the joy that a simple cup of coffee and old fashioned sleigh ride could bring or maybe just the opposite- the fear of simply being here alone with no one but him. Beckett wasn't entirely sure. She cursed herself for being so nervous. It was Castle of all people. And that was it: Castle. The one person whom she had danced around since they'd met. The one person she had been trying to avoid all year but couldn't due to their unconventional partnership.

Just over an hour ago Beckett had told Castle that by saying yes to the unconventional snow day, that she hoped it would get him to leave her alone but if she was being honest with herself, and today she truly was, that was the last thing she wanted. She couldn't imagine her life without Castle in it, not really despite how many times she may have tried to push him away.

She wanted to hate Castle for doing the snow thing every year. She wanted to hate herself for agreeing to this. Why had she agreed? Yes, there had been what she said to Castle, but it went beyond that and she knew it.

Being here with him under a snow filled sky, Beckett knew there were only two roads to choose from and she wasn't sure she was ready for either but if she didn't take that leap she would be stuck, frozen in place like the icicles hanging off the tree limbs.

"I'm sorry," Beckett said breaking the wintery silence. "I've been shutting you out."

"Yeah, yeah you have. I get it though. If I got shot I probably would give people the cold shoulder too, especially towards the people closest to me. Its times like that I remember I'm not a cop."

Beckett shrugged, "It's part of the job but it's more than that Rick, and I think we both know it."

Castle turned to look at her. She had called him Rick so it had to be serious.

The two came across one of the many bridges in the park. Not being able to face him directly, Beckett cleared the snow and leaned forward. Castle did the same. They remained in a still silence for a moment. The only sign of life was the puffs of their breath as it hit the cold.

"It wasn't just that first wall I'd built up after my mom died," Beckett began, still avoiding eye contact, "After I got shot, it's like this new wall was put up, making it that much harder to bring down."

"So what's changed?"

Beckett turned to face him, the right side of her body still leaning on the bridge.

"You," she replied. "I honestly don't know how you do it, Castle. Put up with me year after year after I deliberately try to push you away. And yet somehow you're still here."

"Guess I'm just an optimist."

"Maybe but you could have walked away any time and you didn't, you haven't. Why?"

"Because it's you," Castle said, giving a similar answer that Beckett had given.

Beckett couldn't help the smile but then she looked down. "Castle, there's something I have to tell you," she said as she brought her gaze toward him, "Something I haven't been honest about. That day I got shot, I um…" Beckett turned away and looked out across the park.

* * *

Though she knew the timing was right, she still felt so vulnerable bringing it out in the open but he had to know. He had stayed for so long when he could have walked away but he hadn't. He was here and for how long depended all on her.

Beckett took a deep breath and then turned to face Castle. "I'm just gonna say this and you're probably going to hate me for it which is fine, I can find a way to live with that, but I can't live without you knowing."

"Knowing what," Castle asked though he had a pretty good idea.

"I remember Castle," Beckett said, "Not just the bullet piercing my chest but I remember you. I remember you tackling me to the ground. I remember what you said."

Castle smiled at Beckett's confession and followed up with his own, "I know you do."

Castle's words caught her off guard, "Wait, how do you know?"

"A couple of things really: That head case we worked on. You said the great love stories were about beating the odds. I didn't really think it through at the time. I just figured it had to do with those walls you put up. Little things came up after that but it was the case we had with those zombies a while back that really put things into perspective. You had asked if I thought the guy remembered killing those people despite being under the effects of the scopolamine and I told you…"

"When a life altering moment occurs, people remember," Beckett said remembering his words.

"And you in turn answered: maybe it was too big to deal with. Maybe he can't face it just yet." Castle looked at Beckett, "Somehow I just knew you were talking about more than the case. I knew you remembered those words I said to you."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Beckett asked.

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

Beckett smiled. Maybe she didn't have to worry about him walking away after all.

Beckett did the only thing left that she could do. She took a step closer to him and took his face in her gloved hands. As she reached up to meet him, Castle inched down to meet her, their lips caressing lightly at first like the falling snow around them and then it mounted until their lips circled inside each other.

After a moment they finally came up for some air, both startled by the cold after the heat they had just experienced.

"I love you too, Castle," Beckett at last admitted, "I'm sorry I took so long."

"I'm not," Castle said to her. Castle motioned his hands, "Look around us Beckett, it's our own winter wonderland. It's magic."

Beckett smiled. Maybe the timing was coincidence or maybe the timing was kismet she didn't really much care. All that she cared about was the man standing before her now.

"So what now," she asked.

"Well," said Castle, "I'm thinking a nice cup of hot chocolate back at the loft but first I have to ask, Beckett, do you wanna build a snowman?"

Beckett smiled at him, "You're not gonna let it go are you?"

"Now that is a song," Castle said to her.

Beckett smirked and reached up for some snow on the railing and then tossed it in his face. Castle smirked back, wiping the snow from his face as Beckett started inching back and running away, laughing all the while.

"It is so on," Castle said with a smile as he chased after her with a hand full of snow, the two now having become a couple and the only ones to embrace the winter wonderland.

Castle was right.

It was magic all thanks to a simple snowman he wanted to build.

* * *

 **END.**


End file.
